CAST Type Foundry, which stands for Cooperativa Anonima Servizi Tipografici, is based in Italy and although they focus on type design for both private clientele and public markets, they also offer consultation services for the production, distribution, and customization of fonts for branding. 

The studio initially got its start in 2013, although the road to its creation was a lengthy one that began with co-founder Luciano Perondi enrolling at the Politecnico University of Milan in 1995. Studying typography under Giovanni Lussu, Luciano eventually went down a path that was “quite a rare choice for Italians of his generation.”

Years later, he earned his master’s of arts in industrial design in 2007 and went on to collaborate with Marta Bernstein and others to create an archive of Italian type design. It was at this point when he began to consider the idea of creating a digital type foundry. Still, more years would pass before he’d reconnect with Riccardo Olocco, who had attended the Politecnico University with Erasmo Ciufo, and was then teaching typography at a different school.

Realizing that they all had much in common, the four joined together to build CAST. However, right as it was set to launch, Luciano was appointed as director of ISIA Urbino, the most important university dedicated to visual and editorial design in Italy. Although he left CAST to assume that role, the remaining team continued onward to launch the co-op studio, one that built an impressive library of type designs for a global marketplace.

Relatively new to YouWorkForThem, Valnera is a low-contrast humanist serif type family designed by Riccardo De Franceschi. This type design carries a “distinctly angular” style that works well in both display and text sizes.

Valnera features flat horizontal curves and open counters. Its semi-slab serifs are strong and rock-solid, yet its horizontal terminals display an influence of a broad pen. The connections between its stems and arches are particularly sharp, adding a razor-whittled effect to this family’s architecture. Even so, Valnera speaks with a friendly voice — carrying a subtle warmth that conveys every message with strength and kindness.

Originally designed in 2010-11, Valnera was later reviewed and updated in collaboration with CAST.